Welcome to Behind the Stays — a podcast that shares the stories behind your favorite boutique hotels, short-term rentals, and hospitality brands and the hosts, operators, and entrepreneurs who’ve brought them to life. Every Tuesday and Friday you’ll meet the military veterans, retired flight attendants, tech entrepreneurs, school teachers, single moms, hoteliers, and real estate investors who are all, in their unique ways, shaping the future of travel and hospitality. Discover how these visionaries — from all over the world — have built stunning landscape hotels in the mountains, designed bohemian bungalows on the beach, erected eclectic off-grid and nature-immersed escapes, and so much more. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Behind the States is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Meet Jami Jenkins — the creator of The Carpenter’s Cabin — a top-rated, luxe cabin stay in Southeastern Ohio's Scenic Wonderland - Hocking Hills.
Jami has always had a knack for the creative. She remembers drawing up floor plans of beach cottages in elementary school and building furniture for her Barbies.
A graphic designer and event planner by trade, Jami loves using design as a way to communicate the story behind a space, an idea, or an experience.
So, when it was time to build the first cabin on the 32 acre plot that Jami and her husband Scott had purchased, Jami knew she wanted an eco-friendly escape that was truly special — that had a soul if you will.
And that’s when the idea of building a space to honor the memory and legacy of her father, a lifelong carpenter, was sparked.
Book your stay at The Carpenter's Cabin
Follow The Carpenter's Cabin on Instagram
This week's episode of Behind the Stays is brought to you by Ping — the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings.
Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available.
Ping is a simple widget that lives on your website (or direct booking site) and allows your fans and followers to sign up to be notified if their preferred dates become available.
Here’s how it works.
Jimmy sees that you’re booked the whole month of October, but he wants to be notified if any 3-night window in the month becomes available.
Jen is a returning guest and wants to be notified if any week in June, July, or August becomes available.
In a matter of seconds, Jimmy and Jen fill out the simple form and will be Pinged if their requested dates become available.
And as a host, you will immediately get pinged via email with Jimmy and Jen’s contact information and requested dates enabling you to build up your own database of guest email addresses.
Ping — it's what the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings.
Sign up for free at www.bnbping.com
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Meet Jeff Wilson, the founder and CEO of Jupe.
Jeff is a serial entrepreneur in the real estate technology industry. If you were to have asked Jeff as a child what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would have either said a “garbage man”, “a doctor”, or “a builder of solar-powered cars” — so, yes, his interests have always been quite varied.
Before founding Jupe, Jeff founded the award-winning micro housing company Kasita, which was named one of Inc’s 25 most disruptive companies in the World (alongside the likes of SoFi and Hyperloop).
Jeff is also known as ‘Professor Dumpster.’ He lived in a 33 sq. ft. modified trash dumpster for a year as part of a minimalist living and housing experiment during his time as a professor in the University of Texas System.
In this interview, you’ll learn how Jeff sees the world, why he’s so passionate about using Jupe as a vehicle to make offgrid living accessible and enjoyable, and how STR hosts can join the Jupe platform and design unforgettable, soul-enriching experiences for their guests by placing a Jupe on their property.
Alright, without further ado, get ready to meet Jeff Wilson.
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
In just a moment, you’ll meet Billy Chu — owner of The Blue Bungalow, a chic escape in Palm Springs, California.
Billy and his wife Becky are both doctors who live in Los Angeles and parents to young twin girls.
A couple of years ago, Billy and Becky joined an online community of medical professionals who invest in real estate in order to learn more from their peers about the industry.
In early 2021 they stepped into the longer-term rental game by purchasing a couple small multifamily properties.
But the couple really wanted to try their hand at short term rentals and had been eyeing properties in Palm Springs.
Here was the problem — getting into the short term rental game in the fall of 2021 when the real estate market was going bananas seemed all but impossible.
But after consuming dozens of hours worth of STR podcasts, losing out on multiple bids, and almost throwing in the towel, they discovered the home which they now call theirs.
Tune in to hear the story behind how Billy and Becky bought a 4 bed, 3 bath property 5 minutes from downtown Palm Springs and transformed it into The Blue Bungalow.
Book your stay at The Blue Bungalow
Book your stay at The Salty Saguaro
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Meet Stephanie Hays and Peter Woolcock — winners of Airbnb’s Live Anywhere contest.
Last summer, Airbnb announced that they were looking for 12 individuals who’d be willing to live full-time via stays booked on their platform for a year — and over 314,000 applicants from all around the world applied for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
One of the 12 selected was Stephanie Hays. Stephanie and her husband Peter are no strangers to travel — in fact the couple first met each other in a bar in Shanghai!
Since then, they’ve traveled to more than 70 countries and lived abroad on a number of occasions.
Most recently, Steph and Pete were living in Chattanooga, Tennessee along with their toddler son, Hays. When she heard about the contest something told Stephanie that she just had to throw her hat into the ring.
And, well, that something was right.
Tune in to hear the incredible story behind what this young family has learned after 9 months of living around the globe on Airbnb.
You can follow their travels on Instagram here
You can watch their travel vlogs on YouTube here
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Friday Jun 03, 2022
Friday Jun 03, 2022
Meet Isaac French, the creator of Live Oak Lake, a collection of seven stunning cabins nestled around a small lake in Waco, Texas.
Isaac is what you might call a curious creator. He was homeschooled growing up and his parents enabled him the freedom to pursue a plethora of interests — from art, to architecture, and accounting to entrepreneurship.
Isaac comes from a family of entrepreneurs and learned a lot about business, architectural design, and general contracting from his grandfather who built luxury homes all across the state of Texas.
And it was this influence of his grandfather’s, in part, that emboldened Isaac to purchase an overgrown, 5 acre plot of land just outside of Waco, Texas and transform it into an Insta-worthy vacation destination.
Tune in to hear the remarkable story of how Isaac brought Live Oak Lake to life.
Book your stay at Live Oak Lake.
Follow Live Oak Lake on Instagram.
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Tuesday May 31, 2022
Tuesday May 31, 2022
In just a moment you’ll meet Taylor Jones, Head of Acquisition at Superhost Labs.
Taylor was working in sales when COVID hit. A few weeks after the world shut down, Taylor’s job was put on a two-month pause and he knew he had to start looking for a new frontier.
Taylor had always dreamed of getting into real estate but had never quite known where to start. With newfound time on his hands, and with nowhere to go, he began Googling.
After watching more than 200 hrs of YouTube videos, streaming a plethora of STR podcasts, and reading through dozens and dozens of blog articles, Taylor finally pulled the trigger on his first-ever short-term-rental.
And while he didn’t know it at the time, this decision would ultimately upon up an entirely new career trajectory for Taylor.
Tune in to hear the story behind how Taylor Jones became the Head of Acquisition at Superhost Labs, a short-term-rental investment startup, and became one of the leading voices on all things STRs on Twitter @MrJonesSTRs.
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Tuesday May 24, 2022
Tuesday May 24, 2022
In just a moment, you will meet Katrina Kuhn and Kathy and Sayres Dudley — the dynamic trio who brought to life The Dwelling Place, a special, peaceful escape in Radford, Virginia.
Kathy was the 12th child in her family and was born on the land that would become Iron Heart Vineyard in Southwestern Virginia.
Kathy and Sayres met in college, married young, and have two sons.
Today, Kathy and Sayres run an executive recruiting firm that specializes in the real estate space, but that’s only half of their story.
The Dudleys have always had a heart for mission-driven entrepreneurship, and Kathy is the founder of four nonprofit charities and ministries, including Imani Bridges, an organization whose mission is to connect Christians from different denominations around the world to use their gifts, talents, and resources to become agents of transformation.
Tune in to hear the incredible story of how and why Kathy and Sayres felt compelled to purchase a home in Southwestern Virginia and with the help of their co-host Katrina, transform it into a serene escape for the world to enjoy.
Book your stay at The Dwelling Place
Purchase Kathy's book, Bridges: Transforming Communities Together
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Tuesday May 17, 2022
Tuesday May 17, 2022
In just a moment you’ll meet Hillary and Jason DeMeo — the creators of the IROX ONE, a Scandinavian modern retreat in Asheville, North Carolina.
Hillary and Jason are serial entrepreneurs.
A few years ago, the couple left their respective day jobs to go all in on an idea they had dreamed about for years.
And that idea was to start We Are Curio — a creative studio built for explorers and innovators.
Hillary and Jason have consulted with incredible brands like Disney, NASA, the Orlando Magic, and Chick-fil-A within the context of We Are Curio, but the couple always dreamed of expanding their work into the hospitality space.
Tune in to hear the remarkable story of why this dynamic duo built the Irox Living brand and how they brought their first property, the IROX ONE to life.
Discover Irox Living's Website
Follow Irox Living on Instagram
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Saturday May 14, 2022
Saturday May 14, 2022
In just a moment, you’ll meet Megan and Darrin — the creators of the Lakeview Hilltop, a coastal-chic cottage on Claytor Lake in Radford, Virginia.
Originally from the California Bay Area, and a graphic designer by trade, Megan has always had an awareness of the role space plays in inspiring new ideas and perspectives.
Darrin, who grew up in the Southwestern Virginia area, had always dreamed of having a lake house. But with two young kids and demanding jobs the idea of acquiring a vacation home in this season of life seemed untenable.
But then COVID hit. And within a matter of months, a charming home that overlooked one of Virginia’s most beautiful, and somewhat undiscovered lakes became available.
Tune in to hear the story behind how Megan and Darrin acquired the home which they now call Lakeview Hilltop and brought it to life.
Book Your Stay at the Lakeview Hilltop
Follow Megan and Darrin on Instagram
Visit the Lakeview Hilltop Website
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
In just a moment you’ll meet Andrew Hunter — the creator of Airstream Island, a mid-century, tropical hideaway in Atlanta, Georgia.
Andrew is an actor. He will never forget the first time his mother took him to see Fiddler on the Roof. He was transfixed by the characters in the show, but more bewildered by the fact that you could make money pretending to be someone you weren’t!
Fast forward a couple of decades and Andrew is pursuing his acting dream by day and Instagram influencing at night to help pay the bills. But after he meets the love of his life — and proposes to her just two months later — Andrew realizes that in order to continue his acting dream, he’s going to need some supplemental income to support his family.
And that’s when the idea that would ultimately become Airstream Island was born.
Tune in to hear the story behind how Andrew transformed his backyard into a tropical escape and how he grew it to become one of Atlanta’s top-rated Airbnbs.
Book your stay at Airstream Island
Follow Airstream Island on Instagram
Follow Andrew Hunter on Instagram
This week's episode is brought to you Guesty for Hosts — the bestie of top-rated Airbnb hosts.